Why Being Frugal is the New Cool | Learn English Language
What is Underconsumption Core? Learn Trendy British English & Save Money! Discover the surprising link between frugality and fluency. This isn't just about pinching pennies – it's about unlocking a whole new world of British culture and conversation. Are you ready to improve your English and live smarter?
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✔️ Lesson transcript: https://adeptenglish.com/lessons/learn-english-language-british-frugality-tips/
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
⭐ Leonardo da Vinci
Expand your British English vocabulary with practical, trendy words like 'frugality' and 'Underconsumption Core'. But more importantly, you'll engage with a culturally relevant topic that native speakers are discussing right now.
By listening to natural speech about real-world issues, you're training your ear and mind to process English as it's actually used. This approach helps you internalize the language, making your own speech more fluent and authentic.
We are living on this planet as if we had another one to go to.
⭐ Terri Swearingen
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More About This Lesson
Discover how to talk about frugality in British English while expanding your vocabulary and understanding of sustainable living. This lesson will help you learn useful English words and phrases related to saving money and living a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
The best things in life are free. The second best are very expensive.
⭐ Coco Chanel
In this lesson, you'll learn important British English words like "frugal" and "Under-consumption Core." You'll understand how these terms fit into conversations about saving money and living sustainably. By listening to real-life examples and learning these new words, you'll become more fluent and confident in discussing these relevant topics.
- Expand your vocabulary with terms like "frugality" and "consumer" for real-life conversations.
- Practise listening to natural British English in a relevant, real-world context.
- Improve your understanding of money-related discussions in British culture.
- Learn to discuss eco-conscious choices and sustainability in English.
- Engage with practical examples of everyday British English expressions.
You cannot have everything. I mean, where would you put it?
⭐ Steven Wright
Engaging with this lesson helps you connect with current British trends and conversations. Understanding how Brits talk about frugality and sustainability will make you sound more natural and up-to-date. Plus, you'll improve your listening skills by hearing how native speakers use these words in everyday situations.
Ready to improve your English and save money? Follow and subscribe to our podcast for free, weekly lessons that will help you speak English like a native while learning about important and trendy topics. Don’t miss out on these valuable lessons!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What does 'frugality' mean in British English? Frugality, in British English, refers to the practice of being economical with money and resources. It involves making conscious choices to spend less, reuse items, and prioritize quality over quantity. Being frugal often means avoiding waste and living within your means, which is becoming more popular in the face of rising living costs.
- How can practising frugality help you learn to speak British English fluently? Practising frugality can help you learn British English fluently by providing real-life contexts to discuss money, lifestyle choices, and sustainability. Conversations about frugality often involve specific vocabulary, making it an excellent way to expand your language skills while understanding a relevant cultural trend in the UK.
- Why is frugality becoming a trend in British society? Frugality is becoming a trend in British society due to the rising cost of living, increased environmental awareness, and economic uncertainty. Many people are choosing to spend less, avoid unnecessary purchases, and focus on sustainability. This shift reflects a broader reaction against consumerism and the desire to live more simply and sustainably.
- What vocabulary can you learn from discussing frugality in English? Discussing frugality in English introduces you to vocabulary such as "frugal," "consumer," "sustainability," "under-consumption," and "recycling." Understanding these terms enhances your ability to talk about money management and lifestyle choices in a British context, which is crucial for speaking English fluently.
- How does frugality relate to eco-consciousness in British culture? Frugality is closely related to eco-consciousness in British culture, as both emphasize reducing waste and making sustainable choices. By being frugal, you contribute to a less consumer-driven lifestyle, which is more environmentally friendly. This approach is increasingly valued in the UK as people seek to minimize their impact on the planet.
Most Unusual Words:
- Frugality: Careful use of money and resources to avoid waste.
- Consumer: A person who buys goods and services.
- Ecological: Related to protecting the environment.
- Disposable: Meant to be thrown away after use.
- Under-consumption: Using or buying less than usual.
- Landfill: A place where waste is buried.
- Splurge: To spend a lot of money on something you don't need.
- Sobering: Something that makes you feel serious or thoughtful.
- Sustainability: Using resources in a way that doesn't harm the environment.
- Robust: Strong and long-lasting.
Most Frequently Used Words:
| Word | Count |
|---|---|
| About | 17 |
| Buying | 10 |
| Clothes | 10 |
| Money | 9 |
| English | 8 |
| Which | 8 |
| Things | 8 |
| Spending | 8 |
Listen To The Audio Lesson Now
Transcript: Practice English with Me-Changing My Life Through Frugality
A new trend - ‘Consumption Core’ otherwise known as ‘frugality’!
Hi there. Today let's talk about something that is a trend, something current in British society. And through talking about this topic, you will learn some great English language vocabulary and practise your understanding of spoken English, of course. This is a topic which is close to my heart, my value system, if you like. What is it? Well, it's a trend, that's T-R-E-N-D. And you can see it online in places like TikTok, beloved of very young people - much younger than me! And this trend is towards frugality. What's that word? Well, there's a noun, 'frugality', F-R-U-G-A-L-I-T-Y, but more easily understandable is the adjective, 'frugal', F-R-U-G-A-L. If you're 'frugal', it means that you try not to spend very much money. You're economical with your resources. You re-use things. You live without great expense. Being 'frugal' means there's no waste or very little. And when you do buy things, you invest in things which are quality and so last a long time. That can mean overall, you're spending much less because you're not replacing things. So this is a move away from the trend of showing how much you earn, how much money you have by having lots of things and having the latest things. 'Frugality' is about using what you have, not spending more and about not being so much of a consumer.
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A plastic cub on a sandy beach. Improve your listening skills with clear, spoken British English.
That's C-O-N-S-U-M-E-R. That's what many companies want us to be, 'consumers'. So listen on to find out more about this trend. It may be that buying less makes you richer in lots of different ways. So this lesson may just change how you think about money, possessions and about what truly brings value to your life. Practise talking about money and lifestyle choices in British English with this podcast and listen right until the end to discover how simple changes in your spending can lead to a more fulfilling life.
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Could frugality be the key to a happier life?
Right back to today's topic, frugality. So why has it suddenly become the in thing to be seen to be spending less money, owning less, rather than more? Well, with the rise in the cost of living, rises in the cost of housing, the cost of electricity and the doomy forecasts about the economy, the idea of spending less, buying less and saving more money suddenly seems very appealing to lots of people. Apart from frugality, the name used for this under Consumption Core. 'Consumption', C-O-N-S-U-M-P-T-I-O-N, that's the noun associated with the verb 'to consume', C-O-N-S-U-M-E. We might talk about 'consuming internet content', meaning 'we read things online'. We might talk about 'consuming food', meaning 'we eat things'. But here, what is meant, we are all 'consumers' of the things which commercial companies want to sell to us. And as consumers, we are advertised to all the time, no more so than online and on your phone. Companies trying to sell us things. In the West, we live very much in a 'consumer society' based on capitalism. So this new frugality is something of a reaction to all of this. And it doesn't make sense to waste your money or live beyond your means. 'Living beyond your means' means 'spending more money than you earn' or than you can afford to. I can get on board with this.
Do our spending habits hurt the environment?
Another element to it, it's more eco, that's E-C-O or ecological, to not always be buying new things. The developed world needs to change the way in which it consumes resources. It's wrong for us to continue to be a throwaway society. For many years now, I have preferred to buy my clothes secondhand. And I make a point in furnishing my house of choosing secondhand furniture wherever I can, rather than new. I'm not talking here sofas, carpets or mattresses, but pretty much everything else. I like proper wooden furniture. That's the stuff that lasts. For one thing, if you buy it secondhand, it's cheaper and it's better made. It's more robust, it looks better and it lasts longer. To me anyway. But more important, it's a form of recycling. With the clothes, rather than people binning clothes that they've finished with or they don't want anymore, they sell them, re-sell them, on Depop or eBay. And the clothes have a second life. Many of the clothes I buy are 'New With Tags or 'New Without Tags', meaning no one else has worn them anyway. And it's just the same with furniture. I like old furniture. Even if it's got knocks and bangs, it comes with a history and with a character, all of its own. Even the rug in my lounge - it's a large Afghan rug, which I think is really beautiful. Its age? Estimated to be around 50 years old when I bought it about five years ago. And it will probably last another 50 years, longer than me. That's great. And I like it so much, it's a traditional Afghan design. I shouldn't need to buy another rug like that. And when I'm no longer here, it will pass on to family members who might want it. Much better than buying a nylon or a polypropylene rug and replacing it every few years.
Buying second-hand - better than buying new?
With clothes, buying secondhand means that I can afford better quality, both in their design and their label, but also in the quality of the material they're made from. And manufacture of cotton is costly, ecologically. Cotton needs a lot of water. So if I wear cotton clothes that someone else has finished with or bought and never worn, I'm ensuring that they have a longer life. That the cost to the environment in their manufacture is made more worthwhile. And meanwhile, I'm not being such a consumer. I'm not buying new clothes and causing new clothes to be made. This simpler, don't buy anything you don't need and can't justify rule, seems to me to sit comfortably with the life where the food you eat starts with simple basic ingredients. You aren't dependent upon some branded product in a supermarket for what you eat. And when I look at my washing line, the clothes hanging there, some of them have been around for quite a few years.
A lesson from a ‘national treasure’ - Sheila Hancock
And I like to quote the English actress Sheila Hancock, now 90 years old, a bit of a 'national treasure'. She took a stance beyond a certain age that she wasn't buying any new clothes. "I have enough already," she said. She once said in an interview in the Daily Telegraph, "I hate clothes shopping from the depths of my soul. I went into Top Shop once and I thought I was going to die." She makes me laugh. I don't feel that negatively about clothes shopping, but I am committed to the recycling idea. Sheila Hancock is one of those very admirable and likeable people who have got to the age where they feel that they can speak their mind.
Against ‘disposable’ and throwaway
And this whole trend is also about the idea of buying quality goods, quality products, ones that last as opposed to products which are disposable or throwaway. 'Disposable', D-I-S-P-O-S-A-B-L-E, means that you use something once or twice and then you throw it away. It then sits in landfill, a rubbish tip, and possibly takes up to a thousand years to decompose. According to an article in the New York Times, 92% of our carpets are made of plastic. They end up in landfill when we get rid of them and take hundreds of years to decompose.
Is clever marketing causing you to buy more?
There's also the idea of 'staying in your own lane', which means no longer trying to keep up with friends or people you know who might have more money than you. They have something new, so you feel you have to have it too. The end of this. I recall an advertising campaign some years ago which said, "Embarrassed by your mobile phone? Time to upgrade." The idea being that if your mobile phone isn't brand new, you ought to feel embarrassed about that or ashamed. I don't really see it as a hardship that my iPhone is an iPhone 12. I'm so lucky to have one. That's not me being deprived. And I've no reason to upgrade. I don't even know what number iPhones are on now. And I like my eight-year-old car. And I recognise that many people have cars much older than that. My sister in France has a Berlingo that's done well over 200,000 miles and it's 25 years old. There is dignity in that old car. It might be large and ugly, but it is worthy of respect. It's still going and may well go for another few years.
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Does living with less means managing your money better?
So what else are people doing in the spirit of Underconsumption Core? Certainly avoiding unnecessary purchases. Not buying things you don't need. Ignoring all those marketing messages. The advice is don't get pulled into buying things you don't need. Decide what you need before you go shopping and just stick with that. And if you must 'splurge' for enjoyment, set a limit, set a budget beforehand. That's the verb 'to splurge' in English. S-P-L-U-R-G-E or the noun 'a splurge'. 'To splurge' means 'to indulge in spending money extravagantly or on luxury items that you don't really need'. If you have to, set a budget.
Do This to Improve Your Health AND English at the Same Time
Also hand in hand with this new frugal approach to life, have a good handle, a good understanding of your finances. If you spend time analysing what you spend each month, it can be quite sobering. It can bring you right back down to earth, really looking at where your money goes can make you think. Could you be spending on more worthwhile things or saving instead?
I like this topic. I may say more on it in future podcasts. But let me know what you think. The spending the money you've earned on nice things that you feel you deserve - still feel very rewarding? Or are you choosing to live a more frugal life? Let us know.
Goodbye
I'd be fascinated to hear. Enough for now. Have a lovely day. Speak to you again soon. Goodbye.
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Links
- Underconsumption Core
- "Underconsumption Core" Trend, Explained
- Dame Sheila Hancock
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